Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Onwards to the Wall - A Place to Bury Strangers

By Jack Daniel Betz

I've been waiting a good, long, time to hear more from APTBS, ever since I caught them opening for The Big Pink two years ago. But sadly, half of this EP is more catalog filler than anything else.


The fluttering bass line of "I lost you" gets lost in the noise because there's no dynamic contrast. The title track is equally aimless at times but does at least include some sexy female vocals.

"Nothing Will Surprise Me" is catchy enough at first boasting its chugga chugg choo choo snare backbeat but the fuzzy songwriting makes the product so oblique in the end that it's forgotten.

"So far Away" works. It's got a decent core.

The closer, "Drill it Up", fills me with some hope too. A buzzing, highly distinguishable bass riff cuts through the din and isn't crowded out by too much unnecessary clutter. Vocals are easy to hear.

Let's hope these are on the EP because they're not quite up to snuff for the LP rather than the intended highlights.

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